Historical Western Springs
Being a Kid… in the “Old Days”
Today’s kids have cell phones, iPads, iPods, laptops, and HDTV to occupy their free time. But, how did Western Springs children entertain themselves in the early years?
While you won’t find any donkeys in Western Springs these days, a hundred years ago they were considered just another animal … almost like a pet would be today. The first photo shows Herbert (left) and Olive Cattell as they enjoyed a donkey cart ride in the early 1900’s. A more common activity was baseball, America’s favorite pastime. This is how many boys whiled away a summer afternoon. The second photo shows a game in progress on a vacant lot located between 1222 Chestnut and 4224 Central Avenue. That’s Donald Lane at bat. When boys weren’t playing baseball, they often reverted to racing their scooters. These were made from wooden boxes attached to roller skates, the latter often “stolen” from their unsuspecting sisters. See third photo…
